On the evening of June 15th, Kieu Anh released the music video for "Jade Leaf, Golden Branch". This product marks a new step for the female artist born in 1994 after The Voice Vietnam and recently gaining attention in "Beautiful Sister Riding the Wind" .
Kieu Anh revealed that the product had been in development for nearly two years. The singer explained that audiences wondered why she didn't release a new product immediately after the "Beautiful Sister Riding the Wind" show ended to capitalize on the show's popularity.
"I've been thinking about this project almost every day lately. Even standing here, I still feel like everything happened like a dream. This is a project I've poured a lot of heart and emotion into," Kieu Anh shared.
The song revolves around the image of the modern woman. Many lyrics use familiar imagery from folklore such as "my body is like a falling raindrop" or "precious leaves and golden branches," thereby telling a story about how women cope with life's changes.
Kieu Anh stated that she doesn't see this as a feminist song or a song about confronting others. Instead, the song is more like an encouragement a woman gives to herself.
"I want to convey the message that women don't need to wait for someone to bring them happiness or acknowledge their worth. What's important is knowing how to love yourself, maintaining self-confidence and pride. Only when we are truly happy can we bring happiness to others," she shared.
The music video's visuals incorporate many elements of traditional culture. The overarching idea is to place the image of women at the center of various cultural spaces and layers of meaning. Nearly a dozen female singers appear in the music video, drawing inspiration from familiar symbols of Vietnamese culture, from female generals associated with courage and representing knowledge, to Mother Au Co and the Holy Maidens in the Mother Goddess worship tradition.
The singer stated that the choice of different images stems from a desire to portray women in various aspects, rather than focusing on a single archetype.
Throughout the work runs a system of symbols inspired by the Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship. Some scenes are constructed from the image of Thoai Phu in the Four Realms system, alongside images that evoke the Mother Goddess Thuong Ngan and the Holy Maidens in folk beliefs.
Professor, Dr. Le Hong Ly - President of the Vietnam Folk Arts Association - commented: "The music video is impressive with its concept of 'precious leaves and golden branches,' not just limited to ancient traditions, but also showcasing women rising up to integrate with the modern era."
Besides the worship of the Mother Goddess, the music video also incorporates many images associated with the nation's history and legends. Prominent among these is the image of an egg, inspired by the legend of Mother Au Co giving birth to a hundred eggs.
Many other cultural elements are also incorporated into the music video, such as mother-of-pearl inlay art, blue and white ceramics, Nôm poetry, Nguyen Dynasty court art, and the Three Mountains - Water Waves motifs.
One of the most notable segments was the scene where dozens of female singers from different generations appeared together on stage in front of the village temple. According to the production team, the oldest participant was nearly 90 years old, while the youngest was only 12.
Kieu Anh said this was the segment that moved her the most. The singer wanted to express her appreciation for the artisans who have contributed to preserving and passing on traditional cultural values through many generations.
"They deserve to be featured in the artwork as a tribute to their silent contributions to traditional art," she further shared about the project.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/ca-nuong-kieu-anh-choi-tat-tay-post1851633.tpo
